In infrastructure talks, broadband internet expansion could bridge digital, political divides kitv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kitv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Rural people urgently need improved internet service, ag lawmakers agree, but Congress must confront high costs and a variety of technologies as it attempts to ease the problem.
Considered key to precision agriculture, health care, education, commerce and quality of life in rural areas, fast internet remains unavailable to 24 million Americans, by one estimate.
Reducing this number has been high on rural groupsâ minds for years, but the issue gained political importance when the pandemic drove millions of people to work and attend school at home.
âItâs resulted in lost opportunities to expand businesses, to learn new skills or even participate in daily activities,â U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., said in an April 20 hearing of the House Agriculture Committee.
Maksymowicz, iStockphoto.com President Biden proposed $100 billion in his infrastructure plan to make high-speed internet available throughout America, but industry officials said at a congressional hearing on Tuesday that it could cost up to $150 billion to fill the gaps in coverage in rural America, where service is slower and spottier than in cities. The price tag could vary, depending on the equipment that is used – fiber optic vs. wireless, for example – and the speed of connectivity. “It’s essential we act to finally close the digital divide that has kept so many of our rural communities from reaching their full potential,” said House Agriculture chairman David Scott in opening the hearing. The Georgia Democrat has said he may draft a rural broadband bill that could advance on its own or become part of infrastructure legislation.
House Agriculture Committee hears firsthand what is needed to help close the digital divide in rural America.
During the pandemic, the need for access to adequate broadband only increased with an estimated 24 million Americans lacking. During a House Agriculture Committee hearing, members heard from those on the ground the need to update maps on areas that remain underserved as well as offer flexible funding to spread out costs to extend broadband coverage.
“It’s essential we act to finally close the digital divide that has kept so many of our rural communities from reaching their full potential,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott, D-Ga., in his opening comments.